Aussies ? Pay TV help.

[fredfillis]

I've just moved back to Melbourne after 10 years in the states. In the US I had DirecTV with 2 x enhanced DirecTivos. I'll be buying a new TV and while HD would be nice it seems to be expensive (Foxtel @ $200 per outlet) and limited (Foxtel has 5 channels apparently)

I suppose I have two primary questions.

1. Who is the provider of choice (or least evil) for Melbourne.

2. What is the best choice for tivo like functionality. I'd like to have these boxes on my network so I can play recordings from one box on the other.

I'll be staying away from bundles with phone and internet (especially) unless there is an absolute compelling reason to jump on.

Cheers!

[guns1inger]

In the metro area you only have one option : Foxtel. They are the only metro pay TV provider. If you are regional then you have AuStar, who basically just on-sell Foxtel to areas Foxtel can't reach on it's own (Foxtel is cable or micro-wave, Austar is satellite based). Australia is simply to small to support a competitive pay TV industry, so everything has folded into one service. Take it or leave it is your only choice.

Australian TiVo is a knobbled version of the real thing. Foxtel has it's own IQ service which is superior from what I am told by subscribers.

Personally I think pay TV over here is a joke and has nothing at all to offer unless you like watching old movies, pointless sports or old scooby doo re-runs.